What is this gentle, restorative work?
I am a somatic (integrated mind and body wellness) therapist and Certified Rosen Method Bodywork Practitioner with offices in Denver and Boulder, Colorado. When clients come to my office for the first time, they are often full— of tension, stress, pain, discomfort, fatigue, negative thoughts, and struggle . Many aren’t even aware of this because it is their ‘normal’ experience and the only one they (and perhaps all of us to some extent) have ever known.
Whether they know it or not, they are actually exhausted, emotionally and spiritually, and sometimes physically too, from carrying all of the baggage and burdens of their lifetimes inside. They lug those around with them, and many feel they also have to hide them from the world. They are like human trash cans, full to the rim, carrying around a lot of old trash, and keeping a lid on it.
The Key Is Tension
What these people—and even the most seemingly self-aware, high-functioning, and ‘healthy’ individuals— don’t realize is that we all hold tension in our bodies, head to toe, 24/7, even when we sleep.
We do this ‘holding’ non-consciously as a way to contain and manage our old ‘trash’ and to ‘survive’ new experiences and encounters we expect to present a risk of harm and add to our burdens. Our brains command our bodies to hold tension in an attempt to “hold in,” “hold down,” and “hold back” our memories of the past and our fears of the future.
We also secretly “hold on” for dear life as we continue to live it, hoping the future will go more smoothly than the past.
And we do all of this holding in our bodies by tensing, bracing, gripping, clutching, clinging, twisting, and folding ourselves into unnatural and exhausting postures of defense and protection.
The constant holding or tensing we do is also often the source or a significant aggravator of most chronic pain, discomfort, fatigue, emotional suffering, and dis-ease.
A Simple Solution
There’s great news here. Holding tension in our bodies is an old and inefficient way of living that can be transformed quickly, gently, and painlessly. We made it through our worst experiences, and most of us don’t need to constantly tense or hold anymore. Relaxing and releasing our old patterns of holding, and recovering more freedom, ease, and joy, are our birthright and how we’re designed to live and feel most of the time.
The somatic therapy work I do is gentle, relaxing, and safe. The ‘letting go’ of tension that happens through the work is immediate and felt. And, the results are lasting because we are re-educating and re-minding the brain and body how to live.
See for yourself. Experience a session today. Or feel free to phone me at 303.704.8331 for more information and to learn how this work might help You.
Todd Schwartz is a somatic therapist and Certified Rosen Method Bodywork practitioner with offices in Denver and Boulder, Colorado. My work is not a form of, or a substitute for, medical or mental health diagnosis, care and treatment. My work is, however, a fine complement to these and all other health and wellness approaches.
Copyright © Todd R. Schwartz, 2024.